Change One Life Now, Change Thousands in the Future

“We can identify problems all our life, but that isn’t enough. We must do something about them!”
- Quinn Heder

Change one Life Today so you can Change Thousands in the Future

Last night I went with my wife and one of my daughters to have dinner at Alpine Academy. I expect you haven’t heard about Alpine Academy or Utah Youth Village, but they’ve been on my mind a great deal as of late. That’s because I’ve been thinking about the growing importance of mercy in our world today.

My friend Janette Thompson and her friend Erin act as “parents,” for Alpine Academy. They’re parents for ten teen-aged girls and they live in a large family home almost right across the street from me. Alpine Academy provides a chance for the girls to learn how a family works and grow from experiencing a functioning family. So when we were invited to come over for dinner, it wasn’t just any dinner. It was to a family dinner and a great opportunity for us to get to know each other; family to family and person to person.

Meeting with other people so you can get to know them is almost a lost art these days. I was reminded of this yesterday as I was shopping in Costco. I passed person after person with headphones in their ears. Talk about a large “Don’t talk to me” sign on the forehead. It’s hard to get to know someone who doesn’t want to hear a word you have to say!

But, that wasn’t the case last night! How nice it was to sit with neighbors who really wanted to just sit and talk. And talk we did!

We talked about each person there. We learned about each one; where they were from and what their hopes are for the future.

Because of their attendance at Alpine Academy each girl has a brighter future. I was most touched when Julia, a girl from the Atlanta area, gave us a tour and then stopped at a picture of Lila Bjorklund, founder of Alpine Academy.

Julia told us that Lila started Utah Youth Village and managed it without pay for more than 25 years. Then she said, “Grandma Lila believed that if you changed one girl now, you could change thousands in the future.”

For Lila, it was not enough to be concerned about troubled children - she put a roof over their heads and taught them responsible behavior.

It was not enough to found a program for troubled girls - she also managed it, 40 - 50 hours a week, without financial compensation, for over 25 years.

It was not enough to build one group home - she built four.

It was not enough to build four group homes - she opened 40 foster homes to care for younger victims of abuse and neglect.

It was not enough to provide a safe home for over 200 children a year - she instituted a program to teach their parents to help them, so they could remain with their families, and together they could heal and learn to live with mutual respect and caring.

With Lila, as long as there were troubled children, she could never do enough.

“Can I ever do enough?” I asked my friend Quinn Heder today. We were talking about life and what it means to have faith.

He asked me what I thought having faith meant.

“When my mind tells me one thing and I feel inside that things are going to be alright anyway,” I said.

One can believe things are going to be alright in the future as much as they want, but without doing something about it nothing is going to change we concluded.

So, I’m looking in the mirror a lot these days asking myself one question.

Am I showing enough mercy to everyone around me?

Then I think, “I must become the kind of person that looks at everyone around me and says, yes I know you’ve made mistakes. I have too! It’s o.k., I love you anyway. Let me give you a hand up so we can share happy lives together.”

I feel honored to be able to look across the street and see what Lila Bjorklund was able to create with the help of lots of other good hearted people! I feel comfort in the fact that girls across my own road are changing so they can change the lives of thousands to come. I feel humbled to know that there are many small things I can do to help them along their way.

You can help too. If you would like to become part of changing lives use this link: http://www.youthvillage.org/donate.php or, you can contact me and I’ll be able to talk with you about helping.

It isn’t enough to just see the problems around us anymore. Won’t you join me and work to change the lives of thousands in the future?

The Gift of Good Neighbors

“We saw a puff of dust so we knew something was wrong. Then we saw you running like a streak so we came over to help.”
- George & Carolyn Showell

The Gift of Good Neighbors

The darkness enveloped me as I began to stir. A new day was beginning and I knew just what I was going to do. Even though it was dark and the cold seemed to seize my muscles, I kept moving because the thought of the sun peaking above the mountain motivated me.

Small ice crystals covered the grass and I watched them begin to glisten just before they vanished in the emerging dawn. The world was beginning to awaken and I was about to blast it awake with the noise of machinery.

I have a lot of grass to mow. This week I had even more than usual amount of grass to mow because the grass in my pasture was getting too deep; too deep even for the horses to eat, so I was going to cut it. Besides, if it didn’t get cut it would soon begin to go dormant so I acted.

“It’s a good thing my neighbors aren’t real close,” I thought. If I lived in the city my neighbors would certainly be unhappy with the roar of an engine at 6:30 a.m. But here, rather than thinking a lawn tractor had climbed into bed with them, they would merely hear a slight noise. At least, that’s what I was hoping as I backed out of the garage to begin my slashing.

About two hours later the engine sputtered slightly and then died immediately. I had mowed a little more than half the field the night before and hadn’t refilled the gas tank, so I knew I was out of gas. I got off the tractor, walked to its back and peered at the fuel level stripes on the outside of the tank. Yes indeed. I was out of gas with only one pass left!

The horses surrounded me and began to take in deep breaths as they inhaled. They are curious animals and this was their chance to check me and my machine out without noise and continuous movement. I walked past them to the garage, grabbed hold of the heavy gas canister and lifted it back past the horses. Then I unscrewed the cap and watched the rainbow colored fuel be gulped up by the machine.

I lifted the half empty can on to my lap and turned the key. My first attempt to start the engine failed, but the second one didn’t. I began to cut my last bit of grass as I drove toward the open gate. Once through the gate I hesitated briefly. I remember thinking, “I should shut this gate.”

However, I could see the garage not far away and I really didn’t want to stop and have to lift the canister up two more times when it wasn’t necessary, so I drove on. I have left the gate down lots of times and the horses just stay in the pasture. Why wouldn’t they, the grass was plentiful and it was their home.

I got to the garage, turned off the machine and put the gas can down. I turned around and watched the horses pass through the gate. Fear gripped my heart because when I was a child one of my horses got out onto the highway and was hit by a car. That scene, from so many years ago, was freshened and alive in my mind now. I was hoping I could simply herd them the few feet back into the safety of the pasture.

It was not to be. When I approached them they bolted out to the street!

As it turns out my friend Clayton Dunn was driving past. He stopped and asked if he could help.

I said yes!

We tried to herd them, but they were uncooperative.

Then my next door neighbors came out. The entire family! They began to spread out so we could create a human net.

As we started, a reddish car pulled up. It was the Showells from across the neighborhood. They pulled over, got out of their car and became links to the huge net we had created to surround the frightened horses.

Within moments we had the horses moving toward home. We all ran a little. We all pushed with our voices a little. We were successful. I latched the gate and thanked everyone from the bottom of my heart!

The Gearos simply said, “You’ve done it for us before.”

Clayton simply said, “You’re welcome,” and resumed his drive to work.

The Showells stayed and talked with me for a minute and told me of how they had been watching me. (They live a mile and a half away.) They said, “We saw a puff of dust so we knew something was wrong. Then we saw you running like a streak so we came over to help.”
And, help they all did!

It is one thing to live next door or near someone else. It’s another to be a neighbor! My neighbors have demonstrated the difference to me over and over again. They are important to me and I treasure them. I can only hope to be a great neighbor to them in return.

Do you remember when it was common to go to a neighbor to borrow a cup of sugar or milk? Do you remember when we knew all of our neighbors? Do you remember when being a neighbor made you want to feel watchful and caring?

To have a great life, be a great neighbor. Of all the titles I have aspired to, the title of neighbor is one of the most valuable and important. Be a good neighbor; become a great friend and you’ll find true wealth, importance and joy beyond measure!

A Life of Miracles

“I’ve made it a habit to write down all of the miracles that have happened in my life.”
- David Remington

Are Miracles Happening in Your Life?

My friend Rochelle was impossible for me to talk with two Saturday evenings ago. It was making me feel anxious because we had talked earlier in the day several times. I thought it a little bit odd, since she was expecting my call and I knew she wanted to meet with me.


Late in the evening I finally gave up calling. I was tired from a long day of work and I knew that another day would soon be upon us.


As it turns out I didn’t catch up with Rochelle until Monday. I was glad to be able to talk with her because my little internal voice just wouldn’t accept that everything we alright. My little voice was right.


Rochelle began our conversation apologizing to me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t available Saturday night,” she said. “But, my daughter was hit by a drunk driver so I had to be with her in the hospital.”


I held my small telephone limply by my ear. I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing! A whirlwind of thoughts swept through my mind, but one was harsh. I was ashamed to hear her say she was sorry because of the situation. I should have been the one apologizing to her.


I wished I could have somehow been able to stop the accident. I wanted to make things alright.
Yet, all I could do at this point was to ask if her daughter was o.k. I waited for the answer with hopeful anticipation. I waited for words I was afraid would never come.


“Yes. She’s o.k.” Rochelle said in a grateful tone.


“She was walking with two friends when a car hit them from behind.” Rochelle continued on to tell me that her daughter’s two friends we “grazed” by the car and were largely unaffected. The two were in shock still and couldn’t remember what had happened.


Her daughter received the brunt of the collision though. Her body was hurled straight up into the air and had landed in the windshield, only to be cast aside into the rocks and weeds below.
One would have expected the driver to stop and offer assistance. But the driver simply continued on; weaving and frightfully endangering everything in his path.


Others stopped to help. Since the accident wasn’t far from the hospital additional help arrived quickly and all three girls were scooped up to safety and examination within minutes. And this is where the first discovery of a miracle occurred.


Rochelle’s daughter, though savagely assaulted, had cuts, bruises, road rash and surprisingly no broken bones! What could have been a life ending episode was now looming large as a modern day miracle! And, the miracle didn’t end there.


As the driver continued on down the road, another person, not aware of the accident, noticed the erratic driving. So, worrying about danger this driver not only called 911, they followed this drunk driver home and parked in front of the driveway so he couldn’t go anywhere else until police arrived! Who says that people “don’t care?”


People do care and the world is full of wonderful people offering help and comfort all around us. If you doubt it just take some time to talk with your friends.


I was doing just that the day after this accident and its associate miracles, before I knew they had happened, with my friend David Remington. I was mesmerized by every word he spoke as he recounted a large portion of his life. After about an hour of an exquisite tale he said, “I’ve made it a habit to write down all of the miracles that have happened in my life. Wow! It is a huge list,” he said.


Those words seemed to hit me between the eyes to drive a wedge into my mind. “Do we really live in a time of miracles?” I asked myself.


Yes was the answer!


And my answer was just beginning to be revealed. I had no idea that Rochelle would be answering that question in a striking revelation the very next day.


So, now I’ve taken a step into the unknown. Now my eyes have been opened and I am having a wonderful time. Other friends have begun to share personal miracles with me and I am devouring every word of every amazing story.


And, I’m taking Dave’s example to heart, I’m beginning to write a list of my own life’s miracles so they somehow don’t disappear with the other fleeting seconds of my being. It feels good. It feels, real good!


Have you had miracles small and large in your life’s experience? I think you might! If you want to feel real hope; if you want to feel a sense of wonder; if you want to feel part of the miracle of life, do something great for yourself. Write down a list of all the miracles that have occurred during the story of your life.


And, if you want to share please share your experiences with me. I am your eager audience! I hope miracles never cease in your life. You deserve to be amazed, so go live a life of miracles!

The Art of Being a Pig

“If you call one of our players a pig he’ll probably come up and high-five you!”
- Kyle Whittingham

The Art of Being a Pig

My friend Sandra Johnson owned her own advertising firm when I met her. She worked for the firm I was with, so I had the great pleasure of getting to know her. What I love most about Sandra is her great sense of humor and her ability to see things from a different point of view. For example, one Christmas knowing that my friend Brad loved dogs, she gave him a beautifully framed poem entitled, “Things One Can Learn From A Dog.”


When it came my turn to open a gift we all laughed in delight when I received the same gift, but with all the words changed from dog to hog and the rest of the body changed to reflect the difference between a dog and a hog. It still enjoys a prominent place on my office wall! You may wonder why?


A few years ago I became interested in hog farming so I spent quite a bit of time touring hog farms and studying them. Sandra knew this and was very humored by it since I had never hog farmed before. She just couldn’t picture me as a hog farmer.


When one of her associates misspelled my middle name as Gordan rather than Gordon, Sandra immediately dubbed me, “Dan the Hog Farmer.” This name has stuck with me for almost fifteen years now! In fact, when I was working in New York I went to a restaurant one morning and saw a group of people from Salt Lake City.


The group had come for a Theater Tour. As it turned out, I had a couple of friends in the group so I was able to recognize that they were from Salt Lake. It was wonderful to see them so I came over to say hello and talk for a while. My friends were kind enough introduce me to other members of their group. And, this led to a most unexpected turn of events.


I was introduced to one woman in the group and she got the most surprised look on her face. Since I had never met her before you can imagine this took be back a little! Then it became clear.


She looked at me and exclaimed, “You’re Dan the Hog Farmer?”


My stunned reply was a simple, “Yes.”


Then, said she, “Sandra Johnson has told me all about you. I didn’t expect to meet you in New York City and dress in a suit!” I have laughed at this turn of events for a long time but, I hadn’t thought of this experience for years, because I’m no longer interested in Hog Farming, until this week.


A group of my friends and I had the chance to talk with Kyle Whittingham, Head Coach of the University of Utah Football Team. During our meeting Kyle was asked, “What did you do to inspire your team to have a perfect 13-0 season last year?”


That’s when Kyle said, “I don’t have to inspire them. We recruit great young men. But, if you call one of our players a pig he’ll probably come up and high-five you!”


Then he went on to explain that he taught them about breakfast. “I told them that when they look down at their breakfast, the eggs on the plate came from a chicken. The bacon or ham on the plate came from a pig. The chicken gave a little bit of herself, but the pig was totally committed.” He said. Commitment is the basis for Coach Whittingham’s team. He has created a culture of total commitment.


But, there is something else he has done. He has surrounded his players with great coaches. They are men of skill and ability. They are men who have played the game and are now able to transfer their experience to the players they coach.


While I listened to Coach Whittingham I learned something about pigs I never really examined during the days I was known as “Dan the Hog Farmer.” I learned that there is art to being a great pig and that art can be used to help in many other areas of my life.


To be successful, I need to be committed to a successful outcome and I need to surround myself with people who have successfully done what I hope to do. Then I need to be willing to do what they ask me to do and to perform with accountability and faith.


There were two games where the Utah Football Team had to come from behind in the remaining minutes and seconds of the game to win. Coach Whittingham said, “The team had no doubt they could do it.”


I have no doubt you can do it! You can be successful! Make a commitment, surround yourself with a great coaching staff and have faith in yourself.


In short, go out there and be a pig!